Residents Ask Wedgefield To Improve Salty Water

August 18, 1988|By Janita Poe of The Sentinel Staff

Residents of the Wedgefield subdivision at the eastern edge of Orange County are negotiating with the community's utility company to improve what they say is high-sodium water that has caused minor illnesses and at least one hospitalization.

The company wants to double the monthly bill to cover operational costs but residents say they will oppose the increase until the quality of water improves.

''We're paying Burdine's prices for Salvation Army merchandise,'' said Jackie Finley, who has lived in the 400-home subdivision off State Road 520 for nine years.

Econ Utilities Corp. provides water to the subdivision, which is not served by the county water system because it is too far from other development. The utility is owned by John Forrer, the developer of Wedgefield.

Representatives of the state Public Service Commission will hear comments about the water service and a proposal to make a $60 temporary rate permanent. The meeting will be Aug. 31 at the Bithlo Community Center.

At a meeting last week with Forrer, residents complained their water has been high in sodium for at least nine years. The high salt content has caused hand swelling, headaches and various kidney problems, they said.

Many also complained of ice cubes that smell of garlic, and others said they have found dirt in their drinking water.

Forrer's company replaced two 22,000-gallon metal tanks with a 350,000- gallon concrete tank about three months ago. Residents said the problems have not cleared up since the new tank was added.

Dorothea Bergeron, a four-year resident who has high blood pressure, said she has been hospitalized several times because of the high salt content. When Bergeron moved to Wedgefield she was on a low-sodium diet for her high blood pressure. In about three months, her blood pressure had risen significantly, she said.

Bergeron, 68, said she spent about $22,000 on laboratory tests and medical bills for five hospitalizations.

Last year at a homeowners association meeting, Bergeron heard a resident telling friends not to drink the water if they had high blood pressure.

''I just froze and said to my husband 'that's my problem,' '' Bergeron said. She had been drinking eight glasses of water a day for kidney problems. After she switched to bottled water, she said, her blood pressure returned to normal.

Residents said they were generally satisfied with the water rate in the decade before 1985, when it hovered around $10 a month. The rate went up to about $25 in 1985 and temporarily increased to $60 in June.

Econ Utilities representatives told the residents they would investigate the water problems. They said they need the rate increase because of increased expenses.

Copenhaver said the company did not receive any complaints about salty water or smelly ice cubes until a June 27 meeting attended by about 150 residents. The only calls have been about low water pressure and dirty water, she said. The new tank was built to improve the pressure of the water and filters were added to the homes with dirty water, Copenhaver said.

Residents said they did not protest about the water problems earlier because of the company's promises of a new water tank to provide cleaner water.

''The complaints were always answered with 'the water tank will soon be completed,' '' said Debbie Greer, one of three ''intervenors,'' or residents appointed by the homeowners to negotiate with the utility company.

Residents said Forrer has been ''very cooperative'' since the June and August meetings.

In addition to the monthly bill, most residents say they spend about $20 to $35 a month on bottled water. An informal poll at last week's meeting showed that almost 80 percent buy bottled water.